The present invention is mainly concentrated on the diagnosis of the breast carcinoma using a hybrid technique incorporating both thermal and electrical impedance imaging methods. The innovation of the approach relies on the frequency dependence of the tissue's electrical impedance which facilitates the acquisition of multiple thermal images with currents at different frequencies injected to the region of the body under inspection. This new technique improves the sensitivity of medical imaging over the standard thermography as follows.
Current injection at a single frequency increases the temperature gradients in the unhealthy regions enhancing the visibility (detection probability) of the cancerous tissues with a thermal camera,
Current injection at multiple frequencies along with thermal imaging with a thermal camera results in generation of multiple thermal images according to the frequency dependencies of the tissue conductivities since heat generation (measured by the thermal camera) due to current injection is related with the tissue conductivity.
As a result, the technique allows the acquisition of the frequency dependent tissue conductivity distribution along with enhanced temperature gradients in the body regions with unhealthy tissues which, when interpreted simultaneously, are expected to considerably increase the sensitivity of medical thermal imaging.
The invention can be used in all clinical applications of the thermal imagers:
oncology (breast, skin, etc.),
pain management control,
vascular disorders,
arthritis/rheumatism.
neurology,
surgery (open heart, transplant, etc.),
ophthalmic. (cataract removal),
tissue viability,
thyroid (diagnosis and treatment),
dentistry,
monitoring efficacy of drugs and therapies,
respiratory (allergies, SARS),
sports and rehabilitation medicine.